


Getting To Know You (By The Fire)

by Kona



Series: Filling The Canvas And Getting To Know You [2]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Bonding, Byleth Has A Deep Inner Life, Deep Conversations, Edelgard Is Still Bad At Dealing With Her Crush, F/F, Fireside Chats, Getting to Know Each Other, Instrospective, Late at Night, Minor Spoilers for Crimson Flower Route, Pre-Time Skip, Starts Serious, This Turned Into A Series Whoops, ends cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-10
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-10-14 03:23:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20593877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kona/pseuds/Kona
Summary: “How did you judge my fighting?” Edelgard questioned as Byleth returned her blade to it’s sheath. She’d be lying if she wasn’t hoping for some praise. She wasn’t vain, like Ferdinand might be about his skills, but she knew she wasn’t poor with a weapon. She hoped that Byleth might have noticed. It was a little childish to wish for praise, but from a professional like Byleth, it would speak volumes. A traitorous part of her heart went 'any praise from Byleth would be wonderful.'





	Getting To Know You (By The Fire)

**Author's Note:**

> Thought I was done but apparently like every time I get bit by the Fire Emblem ship bugs I end up writing a Whole Ass Thing. This is one of those cases. (Hopefully it won't be as spread out as my Awakening stuff gOD) So more Edeleth because I can't be tamed and also I want to watch Edelgard panic all the time it seems. Also Byleth has a rich inner life and you can FIGHT ME on that one y'all.

Zanado was only around a two day journey from the Monastery. It was a manageable distance for a test, Edelgard mused, looking back towards the canyon that they had been at earlier that day. They’d made good progress, and they’d be back before nightfall tomorrow at the Monastery. Everything had gone exceedingly well, right up to her being able to tie up the loose ends that Kostas and his band of ruffians were to her. 

The mood in their camp was quiet, at this late hour. Most of her classmates were asleep at this point in the night, but there were a few still chatting with low lantern light in their tents. Edelgard was the only one still out of her tent, making her rounds to see that everyone was safe. Being House Leader was meant to give her practice with the responsibilities of being Emperor, but being a bedtime enforcer was not one she felt she needed to practice. 

As she finished walking through the two rows of tents, she paused at the end of them. Her tent and the Professor’s stood across from each other, but there was no lantern light in the Professor’s. She couldn’t imagine the warrior was asleep so soon. Craning her neck around, she made to look towards the fire pit where they’d eaten dinner. Sitting against one of the logs they’d found with some papers on her lap was Byleth, calmly writing by the fireside in the moonlight. 

She certainly looked stoic, moonlight reflecting off of her dark hair and her bare shoulders. The contrast from the warm glow of the fire was stark. Fitting in a way, really. Her coat laid across the log, her sword leaning against it. Edelgard wondered if she was warm even in the nighttime chill. As if she knew she was being watched, Byleth’s head rose from her work to meet Edelgard’s gaze. 

Fighting the urge to look away, not wanting to admit to being caught staring, Edelgard decided she might as well go over and see what her teacher was up to. As she got closer, she watched as Byleth’s gaze followed her path until she sat on a stool near her.

“Can you not sleep, Edelgard?” Byleth’s voice was low and even, as her eyes flickered up towards the moon, “It’s rather late.”

Edelgard shook her head, “I was tasked to make sure that my classmates were in their tents by a certain hour. I was just making my final check now.” She explained. She left out the part where historically it had been difficult for her to sleep for extended periods of time. Nightmares were always a problem, and the fear of being taken away by some force in the night always had her sleeping with a dagger under her pillow. 

Byleth nodded then, looking out over the tents, “If I’d known you had been told to do that, I would have done it for you. It’s important for you to get some sleep before we get on the road.”

Edelgard was glad of the cover of dark, so Byleth couldn’t see her expression as clearly, a little flustered at the offer. It was a little too sincere. As usual, Byleth was already flummoxing her. At least no one else was around to witness it this time. 

“It’s the duty of the House Leader to look out for their classmates. It’s not a problem for me.” Edelgard demurred, waving a hand. She motioned towards the papers, “What are you working on so late at night yourself?”

“I’m working on troop arrangements for our next mock battle. The information I got from this battle helped inform me of a few things.” Byleth explained. 

_ Our willingness to kill _ ...Edelgard mused, remembering how once the battle had ended, Linhardt had promptly vomited behind a crag. She’d fought before- _ killed _ before, even. She had to be willing to, in order to fulfill her dreams, but some of her classmates…She’d watched a heartbreaking sorrow cross Dorothea’s face when her Thunder magic struck true, and she saw the way Bernadetta’s skin drained of color when her arrow found its home in a bandit’s eye.

“You are talking about our ability to take a life.” Edelgard finally stated, watching something sad pass through Byleth’s eyes. 

“Yes.” Byleth placed some of her papers aside, “Caspar, for instance, is willing to jump into the fray to prove his mettle, but falters when he finds himself having to finish the deed.” Byleth reached over to her sword and drew it with a single, smooth motion. “Petra has the singular of a hunter, and is precise in her strikes to stop any suffering of her foes.” She tilted the blade forward a touch, inspecting it somberly, “Hubert knows exactly how to direct his magic to cut off movement for a quick finish.”

“...You could tell all this from a single battle?” Edelgard was impressed. She knew Byleth had a mastery of combat, from the lessons she’d received so far, to the way she trained every day. It was intimidating and exhilarating watching the former mercenary in her element. It was a deadly dance. But to know that she watched them all so closely, could tell so much about them with so little...It was a bit intimidating. And exhilarating.

“I was watching you all, to make sure you were all safe.” Byleth explained, “And my father and I had to be able to judge members of our company quickly to determine their worth.” She shrugged, looking up at her blade, “The same applied to today as I was in battle with you.”

Edelgard regarded her for a moment, taking in the image of this warrior with her blade. Byleth in repose was a stark difference from Byleth with blood splashed on her face, a blank fury on her face. This Byleth was even different from the one that carefully corrected her in training ring, and pointed out openings in her guard with a gentle prod. For a person who was supposedly a blank slate, Edelgard was beginning to find the depths of her more fascinating every day.

“How did you judge my fighting?” Edelgard questioned as Byleth returned her blade to it’s sheath. She’d be lying if she wasn’t hoping for some praise. She wasn’t vain, like Ferdinand might be about his skills, but she knew she wasn’t poor with a weapon. She hoped that Byleth might have noticed. It was a little childish to wish for praise, but from a professional like Byleth, it would speak volumes. A traitorous part of her heart went  _ any  _ praise from Byleth would be wonderful.

The barest hints of a smile edged on Byleth’s face, and she nodded, “You’re skilled, Edelgard. You strike with precision and power, never flinching in the face of danger. It’s what I would expect of the heir of the Empire.” Edelgard felt pride surge in her chest, heart thumping at the honest praise as Byleth continued, “You don’t hesitate to do what must be done to survive and continue on. It’s a good skill to have in battle.”

“You wouldn’t consider having no hesitation to be an admirable trait out of battle?” Edelgard could tell that there was a slight criticism to Byleth’s assessment. 

“It depends,” Byleth explained, “Moving forward towards a goal is always a good thing. Convictions are important, but sometimes…” Byleth’s eyes dropped, her voice growing quiet, “Convictions can lead to foolish ends.”

“You sound like you have experience with such things.”

“I do.” Byleth leaned forward over her knees, clasping her hands together. Edelgard’s gaze never left her. “I’ve done plenty of jobs for rich men who believed their way was the only way to solve a problem. They’ve left carnage in their wake. Piles of bodies that come back to haunt them.” 

Her voice was grim and Edelgard felt something begin to gnaw in the pit of her stomach. There was no way that her teacher knew her plans, but it was as if she were speaking directly to her. Warning her.

“Inevitably, men like that always have regrets for what they pushed through to attain their goals. Selfish men hang themselves in their actions.” It was a more poetic turn of phrase than Eelgard expected, but then nothing she expected from Byleth ever seemed to happen. Byleth met her gaze, serious and full of emotions she hadn’t expected from her.

“You steel your heart to loss when you work in my business.” Byleth murmured, “But you shouldn’t ever forget what your ambitions cost, Edelgard. You’re going to do great things one day, and you must know what that costs. You can’t afford to be selfish as a ruler.”

Already Edelgard knew what her ambitions would cost her. What they  _ had _ cost her, as she thought back to the loss of her family, her innocence- _ The loss of friendship of the prince with the gentle smile and kind voice- _

She knew how drenched in blood she would be by the end of this war. 

“You speak like an advisor in war, Professor,” Edelgard teased, a grim smile on her face, “But I understand. I won’t be swayed from my path. To give up on my ambitions would be to spit in the face of all who came before it, to those who will fall to it.”

“I know you will, Edelgard.” Byleth’s voice was soft again, tilting her head slightly, “I didn’t mean to get so serious before you had to go to bed. You should head off to sleep now,” she apologized, turning back to her papers. 

“I’m not tired yet, Professor.” It was a little childish, in the face of the conversation they’d just had, “And I am curious to know what you thought of all our companions. As House Leader I should be appraised of their skills as well.” Really, she was just hoping for an excuse to spend more time with the mercenary. To hear what she had to say about them, to understand more about her. 

It was a moment or two before Byleth moved some of the papers from next to her by the log and patted the spot with her hand. “Only a little while longer, because Hubert might kill me if you’re out of bed the whole night.”

Edelgard chuckled at that, and forced herself to move calmly to sit next to her teacher. Next to her, she could feel the heat radiating off of Byleth’s body, and she leaned a little closer to see the woman’s surprisingly neat scrawl on her notes. She listened, rapt, as Byleth murmured through her observations of her classmates. 

She didn’t remember resting her head against Byleth’s shoulder, just like she didn’t remember closing her eyes, but it must have happened at some point in the night. She woke up, with a slight crick in her neck, more comfortable than she expected. Taking in a deep breath she smelt the metallic tang of steel and the musk of leather. There was the whiff of something else that she couldn’t place, too. She shifted, blinking blearily as she came to consciousness.

Draped over her front side was a warm black jacket, and Edelgard flushed when she realized whose jacket it must be. Peering upward, she found she was correct. She noted that Byleth’s eyes were closed, thankfully. Edelgard must have fallen asleep at some point, and rather than getting comfortable herself, Byleth had chosen to stay still for Edelgard to use as a pillow. 

The whole scenario made her ears burn with embarrassment. Her heart thudded far quicker than it should so early in the morning at the realization. She couldn’t believe she’d just slipped into sleep so easily. That never happened for her. How had that happened?

Still, Byleth was slowly breathing, looking as comfortable as she could be, leaning against a log. The sky was turning a muted haze of yellows, meaning the sun was to rise soon. The morning was barely here, and she had slept for the longest she had in months, leaned up against her teacher and a log. There’d be time to think about the implications of that later, though. 

Carefully, as to not disturb the woman, Edelgard extracted herself from the warm body she had been pressed against. She felt a pang of regret, leaving the comfort of Byleth’s side, but didn’t linger to think about it. She, instead, draped the jacket over Byleth’s front instead, and scurried back to her tent to wait out the remaining hour or so before the rest of their class rose. 

She cast one last look back to the sleeping woman, trying to memorize how peaceful she seemed asleep. The rising sun was giving her a sort of glow, the first rays of light highlighting her hair in a soft halo. It was just another part of the picture, another part of the puzzle of the woman, Edelgard rationalized. It only made sense to memorize the image. To remember all the sides of this woman. 

She only stopped in her gazing when she noticed the woman began to stir. Fresh terror caused her heart rate to spike at the thought of being caught staring again, and she ducked into her tent to wait until it was time to join her classmates. 

Hopefully by then her heart would have recovered. 


End file.
